Labor Day weekend is here! The final sendoff of summer before the kiddies head back to school and the weather starts to get cooler. For now, let’s focus on that awesome Labor Day party you’re throwing — and how you can keep your guests cool.

Set Up Drink Stations

A great way to keep your guests cool is to keep them hydrated with ice cold drinks! Set up a drink station with water, flavored water, and your favorite juices or iced teas. It’s perfectly okay to have liquor and beer, just be sure to stay hydrated too. Don’t forget — keep each drink container stocked with ice!

Provide Lots of Shade

Being outside for a party is one thing, but standing in the sun for hours on end is another. Not only will you be sweating your tootsies off, you might end up with a bad sunburn too. Instead, set up an outdoor tent or canopy that covers at least half of the yard (umbrellas at each table works as well). This way you can give people the choice of sitting in the sun or the shade.

Keep the House Cool

When you have a party, there’s always going to be a line for the bathroom. The only good part about waiting on line is being able to cool down in a nice air conditioned house in the meantime. Therefore, you should keep the thermostat in the lower 70s. Normally you want to aim for the mid-70s, but having extra people in your home will cause the temperature to rise more easily.

With summer almost coming to a close, make sure your Labor Day party is fun — and cool. If your HVAC system breaks down during the holiday weekend, contact Airtech of Stamford. To learn more or to schedule a repair, contact (203) 323-3959.

In the world we live in, there are dozens of pests that can haunt our homes and businesses. Some of the most popular include rats, mice, spiders, and cockroaches. While we may try to keep these nuisances out of our homes and businesses, it can prove to be difficult — especially within your HVAC system’s ductwork.

Create a Tight Seal

Over time, air ducts can experience air leaks via cracks, gaps, and holes. Not only will your HVAC system experience air loss, but pests can make there way into the ducts from your home or business, and vice versa. You want to have an HVAC technician seal your ductwork so you can keep pests out and your cooled (or warmed) air in.

Cover Vents and Flue Pipes

An important part of an HVAC system is the flue pipe, which will remove any byproducts from the system. Depending on the size of the system you have, you could have one or more of these flue pipes. Make sure these are covered properly, but still have the airflow they need to operate effectively. Exterior vents should also be covered, which are installed if you have exhaust fans or a whole house ventilation system. The last thing you need is a rodent or bird to block this opening, especially if it dies whilst stuck here (talk about smelly).

Protect the Condenser

The condenser located conveniently outside your home or business is constantly exposed to Mother Nature — and the pests that live here. To deter pests from making this unit their home, you have to keep up with some exterior maintenance. Keep the area around the unit clean by sweeping away debris and cutting down any surrounding vegetation. You should also give the outside unit a quick cleaning with soap, water, and a good scrub. Once cleaned, apply a pest repellant around the condenser to ward off any potential pest threats.

A handful of pesky pests can find their way into your home or business’s ductwork — it’s up to you to stop them. When your HVAC system needs repair, contact Airtech of Stamford. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (203) 323-3959.

The dog days of summer are filled with heat and humidity like no other. While you might notice the humidity affecting your comfort levels, have you paid attention to how it’s affecting your home? Having too high of a humidity level in your home spells bad news for your hardwood flooring.

What Humidity Does to Flooring

When humidity levels rise above 50 percent for far too long, moisture will begin to build up on top of and underneath the flooring. This moisture can lead to warping, cupping, and mold growth. As these effects worsen over time, sanding and refinishing won’t be an option. Unfortunately, replacement of your flooring will be necessary.

Controlling Your Home’s Humidity

Even though the humidity outside might feel like someone is smothering you with a wet blanket, that doesn’t mean it should exist inside of your home. To prevent the inside of your home from reaching high levels of humidity, make sure your cooling system is properly working and is at a respectable temperature (78 degrees and lower). Filtered, cool air can help lower humidity levels, as can a dehumidifier if the moisture levels are too much to handle.

Feng Shui the Furniture

Not only will humidity affect your flooring, but so will the sun’s heat and harmful rays. Intense sunlight can lead to discolored flooring, making it look older than it really is. So when you get your humidity problems under control, it’s important to also control the amount of sunlight entering the rooms. Avoid discoloration of your floors by constantly moving around furniture and area rugs, or invest in a new set of curtains or blinds.

Living in a home with high humidity not only feels terrible, but it can also cause irreversible damage to your flooring. To prevent your flooring from becoming ruined, make sure your cooling system is serviced and properly working. To learn more about HVAC service and repair, contact Airtech of Stamford at (203) 323-3959.

How often do you change the air filters in your HVAC system? Actually, don’t answer that — because chances are it’s not as often as it should be. With summer here and the AC cranking all hours of the day and night, should you change your air filters more often? The answer is yes.

What Do Air Filters Do?

Air filters are important pieces of the HVAC system and are designed to remove dust, allergens, and other particles from the air within your home. By removing these particles from the air, not only will your home’s air quality increase but so will the efficiency of your HVAC system. Regular maintenance includes switching out old, dirty filters with new ones — but how often?

Overuse of Air Filters

The average air filter should be changed out for a new one either every other month or once per month, depending on your home. The more you run your HVAC system and the more people and pets there are, the more frequently you should change the air filters. Failure to change your filters at least once every other month will result in clogged filters that will inhibit airflow.

Summertime Habits

If you change your filters every other month, consider changing them once per month during the summertime. There are a lot of summertime habits and factors that can shorten the lifespan of your air filters, causing you to change them out more frequently.

Increased foot traffic due to house guests, parties, pets, etc.

Failure to take off shoes after being outside; tracking dirt, pollen, allergens, and other debris

Running the HVAC system nonstop due to high outdoor temperature and humidity levels

High levels of pollen and outdoor allergens

Lack of dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning due to being home less (vacation)

Different times of the year require different maintenance for your HVAC system, so it’s important to know the difference. When your cooling system needs service or repair, contact Airtech of Stamford. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (203) 323-3959.

The temperatures are beginning to soar and the humidity level is rising — time to adjust the thermostat. But what happens if you set the thermostat and nothing happens… Oh no! When you come to the crossroads of a hot summer’s day and a broken central air system, here’s what you should do:

Check the Electrical Panel – Before you start panicking, head to the electrical panel to check if any of the circuit breakers were tripped or if any fuses were blown. Simply reset the breaker or replace the fuse. However, if this dedicated circuit keeps tripping, you might need to have your electrical system inspected.

Flip the Switch – Double check to make sure the power switch on the unit is flipped to the on position. There’s also a 240-volt disconnect on the compressor, so take a look and see if this is turned on as well.

Thermostat Check – Turn off the power to your cooling system and then remove the front cover of the thermostat. Pull the body of the thermostat straight out to reveal the batteries. Replace these batteries, followed by reinstalling the rest of the thermostat. Turn the power on, wait five minutes, and give it another go!

Quality Capacitor – The compressor’s capacitor helps start both the condenser and the fan. If this piece is broken or malfunctioning, the central air won’t run at all. If it’s not working, have this piece replaced.

Failure to Maintain – Are you having your central air system serviced annually? If you’ve been avoiding annual services and are failing to provide it with any routine maintenance, multiple parts can become worn out and broken. Contact your local HVAC technician to service your central air system and make all of the appropriate repairs.

One of the worst feelings to experience is having your central air system not working on an unusually hot summer’s day. When your central air system needs to be serviced or repaired, contact Airtech of Stamford. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (203) 323-3959.